The new Iron & Wine release “Hen’s Teeth” is a self-described “sibling album” to it’s predecessor, “Light Verse.” It was recorded during the same sessions for that album on 2024. The songs on the new one are darker but no less profound.
A couple of songs are great collaborations with the folk trio I’m With Her and show off Sam Beam’s ability to arrange voices, something he hasn’t done much of, mostly harmonizing with himself since he began recording back in 2002.
Though the songs are more melancholy than those on the previous album, they aren’t dreary. They feature a variety of instruments in the mix, strings, horns and guitar bring out a full, joyous sound.
The album’s title, “Hen’s Teeth” is used to describe it as a surprise, since hen’s teeth don’t really exist, and that this was an unexpected, accidental gift. Beam says “I went in to make one and ended up with almost enough to make a second one.” It sounds like he's going to be giving this gift of mesmerizing music for a long time.